


A Legend's End

by Jeenius_the_Dork



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: BIG OOF, Legend angst, Legend fucking dies, Legend just wants to be free, Linked Universe, all hurt and no comfort to be found, late night fanfic again, this took like a week to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 13:36:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18367085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeenius_the_Dork/pseuds/Jeenius_the_Dork
Summary: He's so tired. Tired of everything.





	A Legend's End

**Author's Note:**

> I'd say I'm sorry but I'm really not.

The Triforce was a mystical relic left behind by the three Golden Goddesses after the creation of the land of Hyrule. The Triforce of Power representing Din, the Triforce of Wisdom representing Nayru and the Triforce of Courage representing Farore. When split apart the Triforce pieces seemed to always fall into the hands of the same people. The Triforce of Power and the reincarnation of Demise, the Triforce of Wisdom and the princess of the Royal family, and the Triforce of Courage and the spirit of the Hero.

The Triforce was a gift from the Goddesses. Everyone wanted to touch it and gain that ultimate power. Countless times people were lost in the Sacred Realm looking for the Golden Power. The Dark World was created _**because**_ someone evil claimed the Triforce.

The Triforce was a curse. It brought people nothing but pain and suffering. His uncle died because Ganon wanted the Triforce. The Triforce sent him to Holodrum and Labrynna, causing the captures of the Oracles of Seasons and Ages and nearly resurrected Ganon again. The Triforce was what got him in the mess he was currently in.

Princess Hilda, though extremely misguided, was only doing what she thought was best for her people. The Lorulean Triforce had been destroyed centuries ago because everyone was fighting over it, but that only plunged her world into utter chaos. Her entire life was a hellscape and everyone probably blamed her for the destruction of the Triforce because it was her family that destroyed it.

And honestly...he couldn’t blame her.

The thing Hilda didn’t know was how cursed the Triforce was. Though her land would be prosperous having one she had no idea what it’d do to her, to her people. Hyrule was already bad enough and they had been in an age of somewhat peace for _**a** **while**_. So many people were going to come for the Golden Power and try to claim it for themselves when Lorule had their own.

That wasn’t ever going to be his problem, though. He wasn’t the Hero of Lorule, or even Lorulean. He was Link, the Hero of Legend but did he want to be anymore? No.

After his time on Koholint Island he had no idea what to do with himself. His entire adventure had been a dream a flying, talking whale brought him into while he was shipwrecked and on the verge of _**drowning**_. He became friends with people who weren’t even real, that were all figments of imagination. But holy fuck did he believe they were real.

He believed everything was real until he reached Southern Face Shrine. Learning it was nothing but a dream shattered him. He was saving the WindFish from its nightmare but to do that he would have to destroy an entire island of people who he'd actually come to care about for that to happen. He'd have to say goodbye to Marin.

Marin. The sweet island girl who lived seagulls as much as she loved singing. His dream girl who was literally a dream. ~~And maybe also a seagull~~. She may not have been real but waking the damn fish and causing her to fade away was about as good as just running his sword through her.

After waking up in the middle of the ocean he promised himself to stop adventuring. There was just no way he could anymore. The Goddess had it out for him over something, she kept sending him on these quests where he would continue to lose the people he cared about. The Goddess chose him to keep throwing himself towards certain death for the greater good. She could have picked anyone else to do it. But no. It had to be him.

To be fair, he could have ignored everything. He could have ignored Zelda’s pleas for help. He could have ignored the Triforce. He could have stayed in the Windfish’s dream with Marin. But he didn't.

Just like how he didn't remain as the blacksmith’s apprentice. It's not like it was his fault the hero stuff was so ingrained in his system that by instinct he went to try and help Seres. Nor was it his fault he was so attached to Gulley that he knew he just had to save him.

And Zelda. What a mistake it was for Zelda to still believe in him. She knew what he was capable of, she'd seen it first hand after all, and when her time of need came again and he was at her doorstep she was just so relieved to see him there. Why? Why did she believe in him? He was the reason she got kidnapped so often. His spirit was the reason she was eternally cursed.

 ~~Or maybe it was the other way around~~.

Okay. No. Blaming Zelda for his horrid luck wasn't warranted at all. The princess shouldn't be blamed for anything. It wasn't her fault she was born in the Royal family. That guaranteed her the Triforce of Wisdom. He on the other hand, was just a nobody that had a triangle thrust at him and was chosen specifically by the goddesses to clean up the messes someone else started.

The hero of Time could be thanked for that. If the hero of Time hadn't died in battle against Ganon he wouldn't have lived in the fresh hell of his current existence. He may have been able to live a normal life in a normal Hyrule. Just kidding, everyone would always be after the Triforce and he'd probably get sucked into that business all over again. And probably even worse.

He was stooping low. The Hero of Time was a child in an adult’s body. That wasn't his fault. He should be sympathizing with the hero of Time not blaming and resenting him. ~~Even if the Hero of Time’s failures was what created the Dark World. Or what made him have to watch as his uncle died before his eyes~~.

It didn't actually matter whose fault it was that his life was in shambles. The fact was he was a mess. He didn't want to be a hero anymore. He was tired of it.

He...he was tired of everything. He knew if he continued onward and fought YuGanon he'd just be sent on _**yet another**_ mission from Hylia when it was over. Whatever happened to Hilda (despite everything she was doing) and Lorule would once again be on his conscious. And that was something he couldn't really live with anymore.

He could pretend like the Triforce ruined everything all he wanted, but he was the one doing it.

There was pretty much one thing he could do to escape this eternal damnation.

“Alright. I'll give you my piece of the Triforce.” he said.

Even Hilda momentarily escaped her crazed state. She clearly wasn't expecting him to give up so easily after going through his entire adventure. It's not like she knew he was done with adventuring. With-

“Is this a joke? You're just...giving up?!” Hilda asked.

He began laughing. It was highly inappropriate for the situation, and only confused Hilda even further. It sounded dry and hollow, completely unlike the boy she’d met when he first arrived in Lorule. She had no idea who this was.

“You really are the opposite of Zelda, Princess Hilda. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Disregarding the fact he just called her an idiot Hilda stumbled through her words again, “But...but you’re. You’re the hero of Legend. Why wouldn’t you-”

“I’m Hylia’s broom whenever she needs her messes cleaned up. She can always find a new hero.” Link interrupted.

The next words that came out of his mouth would be ingrained in her forever. “I just want to be with my uncle again.”

She forgot. She forgot he was the same age as her. Hilda couldn’t imagine the kind of things he’d been through on his adventures before coming to Lorule but it had to have been a lot. She felt for him, being thrown into certain death all the time would definitely take a toll on someone’s mind.

“Can you promise me something?” he asked.

If she put him through all of this despite not wanting to be a hero anymore she supposed she could.

“Let Princess Zelda and everyone you’ve imprisoned go. They don’t deserve to suffer because I was a mediocre hero, because I gave up. Let them go and my Triforce is yours.” he pleaded.

It was an easy request Hilda could fulfill. After all he was about to sacrifice for her and her country, after endangering so many lives just to make her's better. She gave no second thought to his request.

Princess Zelda’s painting shook behind them. Though she couldn't say any words Link just knew she was begging him not to do this. To not give up. To be the hero. It was too late, the hero she knew was gone. Only the empty shell of a boy and the golden triangle keeping the hero title on him remained.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Hilda asked, turning her staff in her hands.

The hero of Legend smirked. “I've never been more sure of anything in my life.”

Hilda tried to keep a brave face. She tried to convince herself this was the best thing she could do for her people, for her country. She was about to kill someone for prosperity in her country. Her staff twirled in her hands one last time before pointing it at the hero’s chest.

The darkened throne room glowed with golden light. The hero made no noise as the golden triangle, the Triforce of Courage was ripped unceremoniously from his very body. Princess Zelda’s painting continued to crash against the wall behind them. Hilda could practically hear her begging the Lorulean Princess to stop. She couldn't. This was what the hero wanted, what she wanted her entire life.

No matter the cost.

The Triforce of Courage shone brightly, floating in the air right in front of Hilda. Link stood behind it, even more an empty shell than before. His dulled blue eyes met with Hilda’s red for a moment.

“Thank you.” the former hero said, before dropping to the floor.

He was dead. Hilda killed him. She took the entire essence of his power, his life from him. She was a monster. This was why their Triforce was destroyed so long ago. This was the cost of trying to claim a new one and succeeding.

She was supposed to be happy. Lorule had a Triforce again, she was supposed to be relieved. So why...why didn't she feel anything?

True to her words, Hilda set the Hylians free. Everyone that had been captured or turned into a painting was free. Including Zelda.

The Hylian Princess stumbled over to the fallen hero calling his name. As opposed to Hilda’s numbness Zelda tried so desperately to fight back her tears. She fell to the ground beside her the hero’s limp body, shaking it. The princess didn't believe he was dead.

She prayed to Hylia he wasn't actually dead. That she wouldn't let a boy with the chosen hero’s spirit die.

Hylia never answered her prayers. The hero of Legend truly was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
